Clowning Around: Toots Caboose at Train Day

"Toots Caboose" and the Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps made their first public appearance May 9th, at Portland's National Train Day festivities. The new clowns - led by Boss Clown Angel Ocasio - entertained children (and adults), handed out Train Day memorabilia, directed attendee traffic and more at the Union Station event. The spotlight at the event was shared with the "World's Most Famous Steam Locomotive" SP 4449 - the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad's (SP) GS-4 class of steam locomotives. Thousands of people came out to enjoy the beautiful day and railroad-related activities. Check out the "Toots" Flickr gallery of photos

Having recently completed clown school, in preparation for upcoming Portland Rose Festival events, the character of "Toots Caboose" continues to evolve. Unable to find an over-sized bandana, I found a fabric with similar print and Ed made a giant one for me. Toots also needed a bit of a "caboose" so he now has a stuffed rear-end.

With Amtrak Cascades as the sponsor for the Character Clown Corps, the National Train Day event was a very appropriate debut for the troupe. Future public appearances include:

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Engineer of Creative Identity

Jeff Fisher, author of "Identity Crisis!" (HOW Books, 2007), is the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. He has been honored with over 600 regional, national and international design awards and is featured in over 140 books about logos, the design business, and small business marketing. His first book, "The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success" was released in 2004 and has been reissued as a PDF on CD from MyDesignShop.com. Other books are currently in the works. Fisher serves on the HOW Magazine Board of Advisors, HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and Art Institute of Portland Professional Advisory Council,. The designer also writes for HOW Magazine, other industry publications, and many webzines and blogs. In addition, Fisher is a nationally-recognized speaker, making numerous presentations each year to design organizations, design schools, universities and business groups. Graphic Design USA magazine named Jeff Fisher one of the design industry “People to Watch” in 2009. Fisher lives in Portland with his partner of 20+ years, Ed Cunningham.